Shadowy Sails

523MoShSa

The party looked back at the docks and inhaled the salty sea breeze. The party had been asked to travel across the sea for a particularly well paying job that would see them well off for a number of years. The crew and ship they had chosen was well thought of, reliable and dedicated to getting travellers across the sea to where they need to go, or getting things from across the sea to where they need to be.

The captain looked pleased with their progress and the weather as they sped across the waves, the mighty mast and sails providing the vessel with as much speed as it could want. The first day was peaceful and the party found themselves working alongside the sailors to make their journey more interesting and to keep their bodies and minds active. By the second day the ship was sailing along with very little intervention from the party or its crew as the captain kept a close eye on things.

It was around noon when a call went out that sails had been seen on the horizon, another ship. Keeping to their path the captain kept a watchful eye on the interlopers. Sure enough the ship turned towards them and their flag was revealed – pirates. As the smaller and faster pirate ship darted towards them a quick volley of bolts raked the side of the approaching vessel. As one of the pirates fell backwards, injured, the others launched their own attack sending bolts and arrows into their ship, The Stardrinker, causing the crew to shout back angrily.

A few volleys of bolts, arrows and some spells later and the would be water-bandits were sent scurrying back away from The Stardrinker to lick their wounds and look for easier prey, if there was any to be found. Yet as the party relaxed and helped clean up the ship after the attack a tension hung across the journey. If there was issues this early on what lay in wait for them during the rest of the voyage?

---

Birthday Request

522MoBiRe

The party looked around the warehouse they had gathered in with the others that had been selected for this job. Several guards from Wolfhall, the royal capital of the kingdom stood around and discussed the job with a mixture of hope and anxious energy. Many of them saw this as an opportunity for redemption or an opportunity for promotion through the ranks. The job was pretty simple really; escort the kings wagon from Wolfgard to Wolfhall and don’t let anyone stop it from reaching the capital.

The pay was substantially more than other escort or delivery missions they had done in the past but there was a significant amount remaining that would be paid out once the spells and wards that had been placed upon the wagon had been examined by the kings wizard. The contents of the wagon were unknown but it was a gift to the kings son and daughter for their birthday about a week from now.

The wagon itself was sturdy with strong axles, spare wheels and large draft horses to carry it the distance. It was of fine dwarven make with evidence of gnomish tinkering along the entirety of the vehicle. Magic buzzed across it in a mixture of enchantment, divination and something else. It was powerful enough that only the king could afford it but some of the spells themselves seemed distorted, unfamiliar in some ways.

As the party gathered around the job leader, a captain of the guild of transport they listened to a the job briefing again.

‘So now that you know, for the stragglers that joined us late, what we are dealing with here there is something else that came to our knowledge through our information network this morning. There is a counter bounty on this job that is quite a sum for anyone who can retrieve the contents of the wagon.’ Several guards, whether mercenaries or royal exchanged nervous glances before the man continued. ‘I anticipate that we will encounter resistance and even outright hostility along our travels so we will need to move fast. A large amount of the pay for this job is tied up on the wagon arriving intact and on time so let’s make this a smooth, fast and flawless job. Do you hear me?!’ he roared at the end to a chorus of agreement from the others.

He could not be further from the truth.

The first signs of danger happened before they even left the warehouse with someone dressed as a guard trying to get into the magicked wagon itself. The party had stopped them, as their role was to stick to the wagon like glue for the trip, and the would-be thief failed to live up to the investigation from the party and was captured and sent on the way. However, the thief did mention something of interest – the reward was twice what they were being paid to deliver the wagon.

---

Scape Goats

521MoScGo

The party had just sat down at the bar and pulled out a handful of coin to pay for their meal in celebration of their latest adventure. They had sold what they could, kept what they wanted and otherwise were resting after a hectic few days.

When they looked at the coins that covered the bar one of them stood out – a green and copper coin that showed its age of an unusual shape. It seemed to glisten in the light the lantern and hearth gave off and just watching it caused the party member to lose focus of the room around them.

‘Interesting coin you got there, where’d you get it?’ a voice said to their left that snapped them out of their unknown focus – their food already placed in front of them but the coin remained. The man who asked looked rough but had a charismatic smile about him. A quick trained glance could see that the man had a few accomplices around the room sitting at different tables and keeping a casual eye on the conversation. When the party replied with not knowing where it came from the man grinned.

‘It looks very similar to a coin that apparently the king found on a conquest to the north. One that lives in his vaults.’ the man said as he looked into their faces. Evidently not seeing any indication of guilt he shrugged. ‘But you likely knew that. Like how you knew that the vault was found cleaned out today. The court mage was ordered to find the items and all but one were hidden. And that’s where we come into it. We’re here to ask you to come with us before things get messy. There’s a bounty on the head of those who possess the coin and it looks like we’ve found them.’ he said as his hand rested on the hilt of his blade.

The room went quiet and instantly several more shady characters left the inn muttering something about being home for their wife or husband. The bounty hunters took note of every single one of them. Regardless of how much the party argued that they were innocent the hunters didn’t seem to care and it wasn’t long before the Inn keeper was demanding that they all leave. The party knew that the bounty hunters were innocent – simply following the coin and legally trying to claim a bounty. But to kill a bounty hunter was a criminal offence and their bounty would only increase.

A difficult decision was to be had and as the party carried their possessions, and themselves out of the inn they prepared for a fight that they weren’t sure if they wanted to win it or not.

---

The Inspiration

520MoThIn

The party had finished signing the contract with Reginald Tibidius Archer, a renown artist, who needed his valuable works of art transported to another city in a hurry. This meant that the party and the wagon driver would need to travel along bandit infested roads and very near to a goblinoid hideout which was known for being ambushed by both the little and larger tribe members.

As they looked over the journey and organised supplies they never thought that they could be so wrong about a straightforward job like this one. The next morning they set off with the reasonably heavy enclosed wagon which had been sealed by the driver earlier that morning. The road out of the City was nearly vacant this time of the morning but the party still had an uneasy feeling that they were being watched.

Sure enough there were a few men and women who watched the wagon from the alleyways but made no move and waved to the party as they passed through. Yet despite the weird-yet-peaceful interaction the feeling of being watched continued until they were out of the city.

The roads were clear and despite the few clouds in the sky it was a clear day overall. The roads were quiet which contradicted the warnings that the guards at the gate gave them as they carried on further along the roads towards Deepport, their destination. It wasn’t long until every few trees had a warning poster of a wanted criminal that was last seen along this road.

After stopping for lunch to ensure that the horse had a break from pulling the wagon the party began to get ready when that feeling of being watched grew again. This time the culprit, likely culprit, was found. A glint of steel could be seen from the road up ahead – caltrops nearly completely buried in the ground – it looked like the road was about to prove the guards warnings right.

---

Safeguard of the Skimmer

519MoSaSk

The party looked at the vessels that were tied at the docks that bobbed lightly in the waves. Each one of them had a prospective crew or a solitary sailor that was waving to the crowds. Undoubtedly there was a great deal of coin that was being wagered for and against the crowd favourites.

Much like their employer, Gareth, other contenders had hired adventurers to come and aid in their voyage but also, to protect it. Despite being declared out of bounds, illegal and punishable many contenders find themselves at the point end of a sword or the hot end of a flaming spell as there is a lot of coin that passes between favourites. So in the last few years the organisers have allowed the hiring of guards to protect the vessel and its crew.

The party were such guards. Paid well for their timer onboard the Surf Skimmer but there was a large bonus, a monthly sum that would be payable to them if they were to help Gareth win. This was enough to even brave the waters, the competition and those that call the seas home. Piracy was rife and so the importance of having good guards was not lost on the contenders or those they hired.

As they looked around not many was paying attention to Gareth. This was good as it was part of his plan to not draw attention to himself, to look like he would be no threat until he was in open ocean – then his plan was to demonstrate what his ship and his skill could do. Gareth was a third generation captain and had been sailing these sea’s since he was a boy. But more than that his ship was one of a kind, small – hence the lack of crew but big enough to house himself and a few companions for the week or so the journey would take.

As the organiser took to the stand at the far end of the dock even his magically enhanced voice could not reach to where Gareth and the party were placed – last place. ‘Don’t worry. I’ve heard this before. My father raced in this a few years back and I watched from the crowds. He was the favourite to win that year and you can bet that Ma and us were very proud to be relate to Gareth Seaspray, my father that is. I inherited his name. Hopefully not his bad luck. He ran into some pirates and despite outrunning them he ran aground on the Rook itself. They never found his body.’ Gareth added.

As the gulls soared above them calling out for any morsel of food to be provided to them the Gareth and the other captains, and their crew, readies their ships. ‘Get ready for it.’ Gareth warned as he nodded to his childhood friend, Silvana, who was waiting to undo the mooring from the ship. The plan was to be at the back of the pack but not that too far behind so that he couldn’t catch up.

A crack of thunderous energy was sounded. ‘Thats the warning. On the next crack we g..’ he was about to finish his sentence when the second crack rang out. Silvana was quick on the mooring and Gareth released the sails to let them catch the breeze and they were off.

---

Infiltrators in Imgard

518MoInIm

The party drunk “Kicking Mules” at the Wonky Mule while they ate and waited for the person who was going to offer them a job. The drink was watered down and infused with some unforeseen herb or plant that gave it a sweet and spicy taste.

As they waited the thick scent of roasting meat, damp wood and sweaty patrons mingled together to create the now-familiar smell of Imgard. The low ceiling seemed to amplify the low chatter of voices from across the room including traders boasting or lamenting on their recent exploits, mercenaries discussing a job and even thieves and ruffians talking about a different kind of job.

Over the last two days they had waited for their informant they had noticed a few regulars. An old man sat in the corner of the tavern and chewed on tobacco while telling a tale of how he lost his chance at glory when he was young. The Bartender and her twin brother rushed around taking brews, like the kicking mule, to patrons as well as dealing with any trouble makers themselves. Tall and burly the pair had enough combined scars to match any seasoned adventurer.

A man sat in a booth not far from the old man dressed in finery that was not fitting of the establishment. Yet he drank with a few questionable figures that dished out cards to each other as well as those desperate enough to join an obvious con artist and his companions.

The noise of the skill-less bard enthusiastically started to belt out his latest melody to anyone who would listen caused a welcome change of pace as a cloaked stranger tripped near the parties table and caught themselves on the sturdy wood. ‘Excuse me, must have had too much of the swill’ the man said before tossing them a single coin and heading up stairs with a drunken amble. The coin and the man were what they were waiting for.

Waiting for the song to finish the party followed suit and went up stairs to meet with their employer, someone who valued secrecy more than they did promptness it seems.

---

Ambush at Noon

517MoAmNo

The party were making their way across the rolling hills and twisting forested roads along the outskirts of Wyrehaven the party heard the unmistakeable sounds of battle. Rushing to get there in time the sounds of goblin chittering war cries and the sounds of fear and pain from common speaking folk were unmistakeable.

Turning a corner the party found a single cart studded with short shafted arrows. The horse that was pulling the cart lay motionless riddled with the same arrows and a long spear jutting from its chest. The chittering goblins short arrows at the defending humans who were lucky to have a guard who used his shield expertly but even as the party watched the arrows were only barely missing their mark as other spear and sword wielding goblins lashed out viciously at the main defender.

A two men and a woman jabbed spears at goblins that attempted to board the cart which kept them at bay. The party dove forward turning the tide of battle in an instant. As the party attacked the goblins could barely parry, or react to their attacks as they spent most of the time squinting as the sun blinded them.

Within moments many of the goblins lay dead and a few lone survivors had already fled, leaving their few remaining goblins to be cut down one by one. The people in the cart sobbed with great relief before telling the party that they had been peppered with arrows as they passed next to a bank of trees on the hill. They were not expecting goblins but had a guard, Sven, with them in case of bandits or wild animals.

They slowly removed the dead horse from the cart they spoke to the guard. ‘Never expected to see a Goblin, they were lucky they got the drop on us and hit the horse otherwise we would’ve been out of here in a flash. The stupid blighters could hardly see what they were doing. Not that I feel sorry for them but it was just odd.’

As the party watched the guard shackle up his own riding horse after retrieving it from a nearby copse of trees to the cart the guard and the men all looked worriedly towards the hills further off in the direction the goblins ran off. The travellers encouraged the party to join them to Wyrehaven as the local guard has a bounty on goblins and other creatures that plague its lands. They also mentioned that they may be able to find work from the same guard if they were after more coin or a foothold in the city.

---

Not in the Stars

516MoNoSt

The party had come to Lumos , the city of prophets during the holiest month where the the council of clerics and mages gathered and gave a profound portent at dusk. These divinations were taken as spoken from the gods themselves and in the hundreds of years that the city had lived by the High Oracle and the Portent Quartet it had prospered.

As they walked down the streets to the ziggurat at the cities centre the atmosphere was charged with a mixture of emotions. Many bore excitement however there was a gnawing and overwhelming sense of apprehension. ‘They were wrong about the rain last week. My crops have started dying thanks to their failed divination’ one man complained to another as they were bartering over the price of seed.

‘I lost everything when I listened to their advice. “Under Tymora’s star” my ass. I lost my home thanks to them when I should have won at the tables.’ another bedraggled man complained as he stood in line to get rations from the church of Ilmater.

Similar stories of bad luck, could be heard throughout the crowds as they moved towards the tall, multileveled building at the city centre and every instance of bad luck was blamed on a failed divination. The party followed the path towards the ziggurat and gathered amongst the crowds kneeling before the steps leading on high to the temple at the pinnacle.

They didn’t wait amongst the chatter for long before the crowd fell silent nearly as one. Looking up a woman dressed in white and gold with four dressed in colours representing the elements of Air, Fire, Earth and Water stood on either side of them.

‘People of Lumos.’ she started, her voice magically amplified to carry across the city. As she spoke the clouds moved away from the centre of the sky above them exposing the full moon.

‘We stand before you your humble servants and we come here to complete the sacred ritual for this year.’ The man representing air walked forward as he raised his hands the clouds were pushed further away from the moon for as far as the eye could see.

‘We bring you the light that the gods bequeath us so that we can open our minds and our hearts.’ the woman representing fire said as she raised her hands to the ground and all the torches, fires and lights went out simultaneously within the city except for a faint brazier at their feet.

‘We sooth your aches and pains.’ the man representing water said as a cloud of mist descended down the steps and washed over those gathered underneath cooling their skin and magically healing aches and pains.

‘And as we offer ourselves to the gods to judge on behalf of this most holy of cities we ask them for guidance in how to live our life for the next cycle.’ the woman representing earth said as she reached outwards and the section of the ziggurat that they stood on lifted into the sky and floated higher.

Those gathered started a rhythmic chant almost instantaneously and the party found that the words sprung to their mind where they were unknown until this very moment. For several minutes the oracle and the quartet of diviners floated above the crowd while they chanted. Then suddenly the platform descended and the stones knitted together to form the steps into the temple itself.

‘The High Oracle will now speak!’ called the quartet together as the woman looked exhaustedly across them, her energy depleted in the short encounter.

‘The…’ she paused for a moment as her booming voice shook. ‘the stars are not aligned…’ she said as she shuffled away from the crowd and into the temple. The quartet stood astonished as the flames returned to the city slowly, the mist evaporated and the clouds started to flow across the sky and full moon as normal.

The fear, panic and calls for mercy that echoed out at that moment would stick in the minds of the party for years to come.

---

Rising Tides

515MoRiTi

The rain hadn’t really stopped since they had crossed through the Messota valley. The large tall tree’s shed water like teardrops as it cascaded down upon them. A traveller that they had shared a camp with had told them that the wet season was approaching and that where they were going, Starbrook, normally had the best fish for sale.

However, as the party entered the village after crossing a rapidly flowing river via a small bridge made from stone and wood they found themselves in a busy village filled with people haggling over fish. While there were a lot of fish around the party would never have described them as the best fish, nor was there quite as many as what they would have led to believe.

Making their way to the merchants hall they found who they were looking for, Rei, a middle aged man who instantly walked up to meet them. ‘Welcome, am I right to assume that you are here for the job?’ he asked in a rushed whisper. ‘We don’t have a moment to lose if that’s the case. Follow me!’

The party were led through a hallways with silken curtains until they were shown into a room. The room wasn’t overly spacious but there was a bed, a few small tables and a chair in the room that looked relatively comfortable. In the bed sat a woman who had a healer wrapping a bandage around her midsection.

‘Sil was fishing last week when something snatched at her net. Like the other fisherfolk that had fished the Messota river the past few weeks she had also reinforced her net to make it stronger as we had been losing a lot of fish to the sharp rocks or predators. However, when she reeled it in she was attacked.’ the man showed the party to the woman’s side.

‘He’s right. I wasn’t the only one to be attacked but I was the only one that’s had this much fuss put over them.’ Sil argued.

‘None of them were this badly injured. The others had their rods snapped or their nets torn.’ Rei raised his voice but caught himself. ‘It’s escalating. What ever it is, this creature is no longer just targeting the fish its targeting our people.’

The two exchanged a tough gaze before Rei turned to the party. ‘We have enough fish to keep some of the traders happy. But the wet season has started and this ability to state our trade agreements wont last much longer. We need that beast hunted, are you the right people for the job?’

---

A Simple Request

514MoSiRe

The party entered Rimoi as many other adventurers did, as a halfway stop before heading towards larger cities. As they walked down the street urchins asked for coin, trading advice and their service as a guide to take them around the village. But there was not much of a village to be taken around with.

A few general good stores and smiths operated within the village and two taverns sat across from each other in the main street. The rest of the village was a nest of houses, barns and stables that supported travellers and the farmers that made a living in this village in the middle of nowhere. As they moved through the village they were drawn to the Hooting Owl tavern with the rich smells coming from within.

Approaching the door two sour faced guards pushed past them and onto the street. ‘Well the Hoot’s just lost two customers. We’ll take our business across to the Trotters.’ they yelled as they stormed off. Within a sturdy looking dwarven woman stood fuming at the bar glaring knives at the guards who had left. As she looked towards the party her demeanour softened as she greeted them.

‘Welcome to the Hooting Owl Tavern, also known as Hoot’s to its Loyal patrons.’ she added with a venomous look towards the guards. ‘What can I help you with? I have a fresh roast boar on the spit out back and a new barrel of dwarven ale if that’s to your fancy?’. The party were delighted with the food and arrangement of drink when it came out to them. The woman, Glenda, was warm and welcoming and after a few moments of talking to her the strangeness of the guards leaving in such a state eventually came out.

‘I knew you’d seen that but was hoping you hadn’t. The local guard is meant to look into keeping the village and shops safe. A few days ago I woke to find the door to the kitchen open and some food had been taken. Now I knew that there were a few kids that used to come in and help themselves and they never really took that much. But,’ she paused for a moment. ‘They let rats in. Oh I hate rats. They are in the pantry below but I can’t do anything about them. Every time I see one of the furry devils I faint from fright. Give me a goblin or orc any day but something about the beady little eyes…’ she shook herself to try and rid the look of disgust from her face.

‘I asked the guards to just pop down and get rid of them for me, if there was any. Being it their job to look after the village I thought it was part of their job. But instead they demanded free grog and coin. I wouldn’t of minded paying them if they hadn’t been so rude about it. Instead they stormed off and I won’t be able to get into the pantry for days. What’s worse is the little kids that come and take some of the extra food I leave out… well I haven’t seen them yet. I worry they got a fright or hurt. I have some food for them, being all alone as they are. But I have no way to find them as they scamper when they see me.’ she sighed. ‘Something else the guard refused to do.’

---